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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. net — for catching
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. net — in sport
  8. row — to paddle
  9. net — after costs
  10. deal — to handle
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. press — a publisher
  16. lie — to recline
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com